DFA: Lines in ‘Barbie’ a fictitious path in imaginary world

The lines depicted in the movie "Barbie" were nothing more than a fictitious path in an imaginary world map, the Department of Foreign Affairs said on Wednesday.

The DFA issued the statement a day after Sen. Francis Tolentino disclosed that the Movie and Television Review and Classification Board found no basis to ban the movie over the supposed depiction of China's nine-dash-line.

"Having carefully reviewed the film, the Department is not convinced that the lines shown depict anything more than a fictitious path, in an imaginary world map," the DFA said in a statement.

"To avoid any misinterpretation, the Department has provided advice to the MTRCB. The Department trusts that the MTRCB will do its utmost in the exercise of their mandate," it added.

"Barbie" was banned in Vietnam over a map that supposedly depicted the nine-dash-line of China, the country's basis for its massive claims in the South China Sea.

The Philippines has pulled out the screening of two films - Uncharted in 2022 and Abominable in 2019 - due to a scene that showed China's nine-dash line map encroaching on Philippine waters.

The DFA said the scenes from the movies containing images of China's map of the South China Sea were "contrary to national interest" prompting it to request the MTRCB to review and prohibit it from being shown in local theaters.

In the case of "Barbie," the MTRCB said it had "no basis to ban the film 'Barbie' as there is no clear nor outright depiction of the 'nine-dash line' in the subject film, in comparison to films such as 'Abominable' and 'Uncharted'."

The MTRCB said "Barbie" went through two "meticulous screenings."

"The first screening involved a full review of the film including discussions and deliberations by the members of the Review Committee," the MTRCB said in a letter to Tolentino.

"After thorough deliberations by the Review Committee, we immediately requested the film's distributors, Warner Bros., to blur the controversial lines in order to avoid further misinterpretations," it added.

The second screening was conducted by the MTRCB with the representatives from the DFA and the Office of the Solicitor General "to fully ascertain and determine if the said lines depict the nine-dash line." —NB, GMA Integrated News